


Even if you're lying, promise to come back home okay?

by FanFiction_Artist_Prototype



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Concern, Conflict, Family, Persona 5 Protagonist is from Inaba, fake death
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-12
Updated: 2019-11-04
Packaged: 2020-03-02 07:10:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18806239
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanFiction_Artist_Prototype/pseuds/FanFiction_Artist_Prototype





	1. Chapter 1

"Where's Akira?"

Makoto tensed as she looked over to the entrance of LaBlanc, everybody was supposed to either think Akira was back in Inaba or think he was dead. So who was coming looking for him? When her eyes latched onto the original detective prince her heart nearly stopped. Shirogane Naoto stood in LeBlanc with three others behind her, the expression of someone that had lost everything and was hanging onto their last hope painted with perfectly clarity into her features.

"What? Like we're just gonna tell a buncha' strangers where he is." Bless Ryuji's ability to be calm when it came to Akira's ludicrous plans, Makoto's thoughts were going a mile a minute. She needed to pull herself together quickly though- she was second in command and even if Ryuji and Ann were the two that Akira trusted to watch his back in and out of the metaverse, Akira had entrusted the team to her.

"I apologise for my friend's brash...behaviour," She set her coffee down, climbing out of the counter seat and saw the man behind Shirogane bristle. He was tall, possibly the tallest in the group, and had black hair and punk-like clothing. His eyes were scathing as he seemed to read her like an open book, mentally calling her out on whatever bullshit she was about to spew. She took note of the scar above his eye, "But he is correct. We don't know who you are or why you want to know about Akira, you can understand."

The man 'tched' and turned to the other man there who seemed the most nervous out of the intruders. He wasn't particularly tall or confident looking but the way he held himself, both hands on his belt as he seemed to lean backwards and had his cap slightly tilted down in a lazy gesture was somehow a stark reminder of Akira's relaxed half-slouch that the boy had. The other man made a motion with his head- motioning to the only other female in the group. A small brunette who wore a pink jacket and red ribbon whose eyes were burrowing into the counter next to Makoto.

Sparing a glance in the corner of her eye she saw the other girl was staring at Morgana. 

"Look kid-" the raven man stepped forward to be in line with Shirogane and the action caused a scraping of chairs as the other Phantom Thieves were immediately on their feet. The air became tense as both sides quickly figured out that the other wasn't going to back down without potential blows being exchanged, "I don't care if you're Aki's second or whatever we're his family. And right now the only thing stopping his family from knowing if he's alive or not is you guys."

The fact that the man could tell just from the exchange so far that she was the second in command was jarring, "How about we sit down and go about this civilly? I'm sure Akira wouldn't be too happy if he knew we were all arguing like this."

The other three murmured in agreement with the detective and they moved to the booth closest to the counter and Makoto looked behind her to where her team mates were stood waiting for her command. She could tell in their eyes that she wasn't looking at Ryuji, Ann, Yusuke, Futaba and Haru. She was face to face with Skull (Joker's right hand man), Panther (Joker's right hand woman), Fox (Joker's vanguard strength), Oracle (Joker's eyes and support) and Noir (Joker's vanguard support) and that meant she had to be Queen - the team strategist and second in command. It was her duty to make sure the team were capable of getting through anything if their leader was out of commission for whatever reason.

"Play nice, we don't know if they're with Akechi or not..." 

There was a unified nod and as the teens turned their chairs around to face the booth Makoto exchanged a glance with Boss who nodded and took himself off to the kitchen. Sighing quietly she picked up Morgana and turned in her own seat with one hand before sitting down, placing the cat in her lap.

"I'd like to start by saying we know you're all Phantom Thieves." Makoto could feel the question forming in her throat but never got the chance to say it, "And no, Akira didn't tell us. I'm the detective prince for a reason." The detective didn't smile, but it wasn't so much a grimace either. "And now that you know that, I want to know one thing. Is Akira alive?"

That was a question Makoto would like the answer to herself.

"Of course Kira's alive!" she looked in shock to Ryuji, the blond had been so collected a second ago but now she could see that it had been a facade. His eyes displayed a rage she hadn't seen before, "If you're supposed to be his family you should know he isn't stupid enough to kill himself!"

 _Ah,_ she thought- not being lost on how Ann's hands dug into the sides of her seat,  _This is reminding them of Shiho. They want to believe he's alive but the risk factor..._

"That sounds like you're trying to convince yourself more than us." The brunette girl spoke for the first time and it hurt to admit that it was true. Ryuji sounded as desperate as Shirogane's eyes looked, "Do you have any proof that Akira is alive?"

"Yukari-" The shorter man placed a hand on the woman's shoulder but that was roughly rolled off as she turned to face him a strange form of guilt in her eyes:

"This is just school all over again Junpei! I tried to tell you all that letting him know would avoid this kind of stuff but no. Look where it's gotten us."

"Makoto... he's... Akira's fine right?" Looking over to Futaba Makoto wondered how Akira did this. Because the younger girl looked so heart broken- in fact she looked worse than she had before they'd changed her heart and she had a feeling that this time it was because Futaba knew for certain that if their leader died she could of done something to stop it. If Akira did die, they were all to blame...

But that was the risk Akira faced every time he picked the vanguard. Every time he entered a battle he was rolling the dice on whether or not they'd come out alive. She took a deep breath, "Futaba... it's Akira, he's probably making my sister mad at him as we speak. You know how smug he can be." The girl gave a soft smile, and Makoto felt a small piece of relief at knowing the youngest wasn't going to break down in panic in the next five minutes.

"If you two are done arguing-" Ann's brash voice through the rubble of the cafe and the two adults that had been arguing (clearly the eldest) looked over to her with something akin to recognition, "Saying your Akira's family means nothing. Ryuji and I know all about his  _family_ and people like that aren't permitted to know  ** _anything_** about him." There was something about the way the bubbly teen spat the word family out that made everything apparent to Makato even though she was unaware of the specifics of Akira's home life.

It was 'Junpei' that spoke first this time, "We ain't anything like that. We're Aki's family not through blood but through bonds- we aren't anythin' like those guys."

"So, why is it that Joker never told us about you?" Yusuke was the one to talk this time. And it was a valid question. If these guys were so close why was it that they'd never been mentioned?

"'Joker'?"


	2. Chapter 2

"What do you mean 'Joker'? Is that what you call Akira when you're?"

Haru nods, because everybody seems too frozen and confused to really answer. She isn't too sure on who exactly these people are but, if they say they know Akira they're probably trust worthy on some level. The blue haired woman she's sure she's seen somewhere, but that isn't important right now. She can see Makoto floundering and trying to stay as composed as possible but it isn't working very well.

She might as well put what little business training her father gave her to good use: "We've only really gone around in circles at this point. My name's Okumura Haru." The woman with blue hair looks over to her, a flash of recognition in her desperate eyes. Haru pays no mind to that. Sentimentalises later, what mattered now was getting everybody introduced and getting everything sorted out.

"This is Nijima Makoto, Sakamoto Ryuji, Takamaki Ann, Kitagawa Yusuke and Sakura Futaba." She takes a calming breath, motioning to each person as she says their name, "Like you already pointed out, you're aware we're the Phantom Thieves. So, with that on the table who exactly are you to Akira."

She sees the tallest man open his mouth, mirth in his eyes. But Haru isn't the quiet girl she was a few months ago. She is Okumaru Haru, third year high school student and member of the Phantom Thieves. She will **not** be interrupted again, "And saying you're family through bonds mean nothing. If that's the case then we too are Akira's family." She stands taller, collecting herself, "So answer the question. Who are you to Akira?"

"I think we got off on the wrong foot here didn't we?"

"Junpei shut-"

"No. Yukari- let me speak damnit. He was my best friend too." There's something here, something that the other two don't seem to be in on because they're looking just as confused as Haru's sure they all are.

"It was mainly mine and Akihiko's decision to not tell him about Minato. It was our decision to not let Akira know because everybody here is aware of stupid he can be if he thinks it was the right thing to do! So you can't tell me, that if he did know about what happened to Minato, that this wouldn't of happened." Junpei takes in a deep breath, "Because this happened when he was in the dark. Imagine what he'd of done if he'd of known."

"He'd of known not to be so stupid-"

"Minato wasn't stupid Yukari! He had to give his life up for us, just like Aki's clearly had to throw himself to the dogs to keep his team alive! You saw on the news what that fake detective Prince was spewing!"

"Is this a bad time?"

"Akira!"

Haru was surprised when she saw her leader, and seeing him shaking as he held himself up and the poor quality make up disguising his injuries she remembered he was also her kohai, and she was even more surprised when Ryuji and Ann pushed the new comers away to spring themselves atop of him.

"Hey! Ow...I'm fine Ann just don't squeeze too hard." And with that grey eyes locked onto the four, "Junpei-nii, Naoto-nii, Yukari-nii, Kanji-nii. To what dobi owe the pleasure?"

'Junpei', seconds earlier looking on the verge of tears, was confident as he approached their leader, "We thought you'd gone and died you idiot! What, you thought we wouldn't care- God everyone in your family is so stupid when it comes to how your actions will effect other people!"

It was a stabbing comment, but Haru could tell the intention wasn't to cut deep. "If it's not you, it's Yu! I'm not even in my thirties yet and I'm going grey because of you!"

It continued like that, for awhile. Everyone calmed down, everyone introduced properly and they learnt about Akira's family.

All the while she held back, noticing all to well how Akira settled himself so he wasn't putting too much pressure on one leg or one side of his body.

She noticed all too well how Ann and Ryuji kept to his side like they'd blink and he'd disappear.

She noticed the frightened look in Yusuke and Futaba's eyes as the thought that they nearly lost someone important to them again settled in.

And she noticed how Mako-chan never once relaxed, eyes always on the door, on Akira, on the slightest movement.

But there was one thing that never got mentioned, never got brought up or noticed.

All talks of 'Minato' were ceased, lost in the excitement that was their leaders return.


	3. Bonus

"Akira?"

"Yes, Haru?"

"Who's Minato, your friends mentioned them but never explained in greater detail?"

"Minato was my older cousin, he died a few years back why?"

"Your friends mentioned that you were acting like him...I wondered why."

"Oh. Probably because we both made the same promise. The promise that we'd come home alive, even if we both knew we were lying."


End file.
